Insole for boots and shoes.



"mam 340.. PQATBNTED MAR. 10, 1908. f

' J. ASKINS.

, INSOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

ABPLIOATION FILED BBPTJS, 1907.

I INVENTOR Joseph Asking. K By WWWATTZS 'ATT'EST;

ffll NORRIS PITIRS ca. wnsumarqn, 0. c4

' UNITED sTATEs PAT NT OFFICE. '7

JOSEPH ASKINS, OF LIMA, OHIO.

INSOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Application filed September 23, 1907. Serial No. 394,054.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH AsKINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insoles for Boots and Shoes, and do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in a new and original insole for boots and shoes, all substantially as shown and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the insole and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross section of the insole.

The invention as thus shown is composed of sundry parts which are structurally and operatively related and constitute a new article of manufacture and sale. Thus, the said device or insole, so-called, comprises a plurality of top or outer surface metallic plates A, which are constructed with downwardly bent or turned edges all around and are arranged to lie in the same plane close together at their edges so that said meeting edges will not pinch and tear the socks, and three such plates or outer metallic members are shown in this instance. There might be four or more. This construction of the edges I of said plates is further important because they must be so formed as not to abrade or otherwise injure the stocking nor the foot, and hence the outer edges 2 are bent downward also, as well as those that meet transversely, and this I regard as avery important feature in the construction and use of said plates. Furthermore the said plates are entirely disconnected one with the otherdirectly, but all are permanently and firmly fixed to a flexible rubber saturated or covered canvas or like suitable bottom B by spurs 3 struck out of said metal plates at intervals along their edges and engaged through and bent upon said bottom, whereby each plate is caused to hold its proper relation to the other plates and especially maintains a protecting engagement at the meeting edges thereof. Intervening said plates and the said bottom support B I provide an absorbent cushioning member D, which may be a piece of woven fabric or any other suitable material properly prepared, but a ma- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

teriallike heavy lamp wicking serves an excellent purpose if it be wide enough, and in the present instance said absorbent cushion is approximately as wide as the said plates and is exposed to the holes 4 in the plates at the base of said spurs 3. Other holes or'perforations 5 may be formed in said plates which serve as additional openings for exposing the absorbent to the moisture of the foot or the foot to the moisture in the absorbent, and whereby moisture arising from the feet is not only taken up but odors from the same or from the feet are neutralized or destroyed by or in the pad. If the feet have vno natural moisture I saturate the absorbent or cushion with a suitable acid liquid, such as cider vinegar, which, -like the moisture from the feet, appears to set up a chemical action with the metals in the insole and has the effect of killing the odors from the feet. Hence I preferably make the-outer plates A of zinc, thou h they may also be of copper or other suita le metal which will respond to these moistures, and in case zinc be used on the outside of the insole I provide a smaller plate E of copper or its equivalent for the inside immediately beneath the outer plate and in contact therewith over said absorbent and preferably exposed at its center over the 5 upper plate.

have a theory as to the chemical action that may be set up in the insole in consequence of this construction and relation of parts, but apart from such theory I do find 0 that it neutralizes the odors emanating from the feet, and contributes very materially tothe warmth of the feet. Saturating the ab.- sorbent once in four or five days to begin with is sufficient, and after that every ten days will do. In time, of course, say a month or two, in some cases and longer in others, the zinc will be more or less consumed and lose its value, when new insoles will be required, if

the use of the insoles is to be continued. 'In

many people themoisture of the feet is so copious that no other saturation is required, but in cases of dry feet special saturation is necessary to get the desired effects beyond mere cushioning of the foot, and the perforations in plates A afford access of the moisture to the feet.

What I claim is 1. An insole for shoes .having a flexible bottom, an absorbent padding over said bottom and a plurality of separate surface plates affixed to said bottom having their edges bent downward all around the same and the opposed edges in contact.

2. An insole for shoes having a plurality of perforated metal plates at its top arranged edge to edge and the meeting edges thereof bent downward, a piece of electrical conducting metal next beneath each of said plates, a flexible su port for said plates at the bottom of the inso e and an absorbent cushioning pad between said electrical conducting metal pieces and said flexible bottom support.

3. An insole for shoes having a rubber treated fabric bottom, a series of separate surface plates over said bottom and affixed thereto and having transverse edges bearing one against the other and the edges of said plates bent downward all around, absorbent material between said plates and fabric bottom and a layer of conducting metal at the bottom of each of said surface plates over said absorbent material.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH ASKINS.

Witnesses:

H. T. FISHER, E. M. FISHER. 

